(NewsUSA) – Quickly fading are the days when a father handed down his trusted hand tools so the family plumbing business could carry on for another generation. This trend is affecting all of our lives in ways we never expected.

According to a 2012 Talent Shortage Survey by ManPowerGroup, Inc., “skilled trades” are the hardest jobs to fill. As Baby Boomers retire, more jobs for skilled workers open up, but there aren’t enough skilled tradesmen ready to meet the growing demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that more than one third of skilled tradesmen are over the age of 50. In fact, for every three tradesmen who retire, there’s only one skilled person available to fill the gap.

As skilled tradesmen become harder and harder to find, who is going to fix the A/C when it quits on a 100-degree day or re-shingle the roof when it’s damaged by Mother Nature’s fury? America needs a wake-up call!

Skilled tradesmen play a vital role in our society, and it’s time we recognize their contributions. National Tradesmen Day, initiated in 2011 by IRWIN Tools, is an opportunity to celebrate America’s real working hands and to thank the tradesmen who touch our lives daily. Whether an auto mechanic, roofer, bricklayer, plumber, welder, electrician or carpenter — every professional tradesman deserves our salute. After all, these are the men and women who build America and keep it running strong.

National Tradesmen Day, held each year on the third Friday in September, is also a time to pause to consider the endless entrepreneurial and business ownership opportunities a career as a skilled worker can offer your children or grandchildren.

Visit your local community college with your son or daughter to learn more about the classes and certifications available for skilled trades. In honor of National Tradesmen Day, do your part to celebrate and thank our nation’s professional tradesmen, and maybe, for the first time ever, talk with your kids about the benefits of working with one’s hands to earn a living. Let’s show tradesmen how much we value their work and the contributions they make to our communities every single day. After all, they are America’s real working hands, and their life’s work makes our lives work.

For more information about how you can thank tradesmen on National Tradesmen Day, visit www.nationaltradesmenday.com.